At War's End
by CrazyTenor42
Summary: Vietnam was the forgotten war. Soldiers returned home to no thanks, no jobs, no celebrations. The dead were buried. The broken, bleeding, and traumatized locked away. Anakin and Obi-Wan are no exception. A prisoner of war, Obi-Wan finally reunites with the man he trained and wounded. Sometimes, adjusting to life after war is an even bigger battle. Vietnam Era AU. Anakin/Obi-Wan
1. Chapter 1

"I thought you were getting a roommate?"

"He's still under the mandatory twenty-four hour psychological exam. He won't be here until tomorrow."

"I'll still never know how you passed that."

Anakin grinned. "I was unconscious. Passed it by default."

"I should have figured." Ahsoka jumped off the foot of Anakin's bed and over to the empty bed a few feet away. The doctor's clipboard was at the edge of the bed, hastily filled out by what was unmistakably Doctor Vokara Che's writing. It was rare for a veteran to be treated by anyone but her. Technically only certified as a nurse, everyone in the hospital respected her immensely, unofficially giving her the title of doctor. The other doctors had abandoned the hospital in favor of higher salaries or more prestige. Left at the mercy of donations from the local church and whatever money the patients could provide, the hospital's resources were dwindling. There was so few staff remaining that Ahsoka had gotten to know each doctor and nurse by name.

"Did you already check this out?"

"I just got back from PT, I didn't get a chance."

Ahsoka giggled. "Windu again?"

"That man is out to kill me."

"Whatever you say, Skyguy." She skimmed over the papers in her hands. "General Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Anakin scrambled off the bed. "Kenobi? Are you sure?"

"That's what it says…"

"Let me see that." He held out his right arm to take it from her. The first few times he had done this, Ahsoka had coughed awkwardly, not wanting to bring more attention to Anakin's missing limb. It caused him embarrassment enough when he knocked over glasses of water reaching out with his severed stump or pushed himself out of bed, only to fall forward without any support. Therapy and time had slowly begun to take affect and Anakin was getting more comfortable about his injury, at least around her and the other patients. Even if it happened less frequently, he did still forget his missing appendage. Ahsoka had taken to merely staring at him calmly at him, waiting for Anakin to realize his mistake.  
"Damn. I'll never get used to this."

"If you didn't skip physical therapy and you kept it in the sling like Nurse Eerin wants you to..."

"It's missing, not broken. What good will a sling do?" He raised his left, still intact hand. "Now hand it over."

She tossed it to him. "I can't imagine why no one else has wanted to room with you. There's nothing on there, by the way, just the basic stuff."  
Anakin ignored her, staring at the clipboard in his hand.

"Did you hear me?" She waved her hand in front of his face. "Hey."

The clipboard slipped out of his shaking hand, hit the corner of the bed, and tumbled to the floor. "We thought he died."

"Wait – you knew him?"

"He and General Jinn were the ones who recruited me. Obi-Wan took over my training for two years."

"So you were close," she said softly. "What's he like?"

There was a pause. "Civilized," Anakin said finally. "You'll like him. I never met a General who was so quiet and reserved. He hated the fighting, I never could figure out why he volunteered to serve. But he was one of the best."

"Sounds like you would have driven him crazy."

"As soon as I was trained we got split into different troops. Our orders still came from him, but, well, I haven't seen anyone since I got here." He swore and got out of bed. "I'm going to see him."

"They won't let you see him."

"I don't care. I – I have to make sure Obi-Wan's alright. I owe him that."

"He's here, isn't he? He is going to be fine. Besides, you know they keep the psych ward locked down."  
"You don't understand, Ahsoka!" Anakin looked furiously at her for a few seconds and then lowered himself back on the bed. Ahsoka waited until Anakin had taken a few deep, shaky breathes before picking the clipboard off the ground and taking her seat on the corner of the bed. "What happened?"

Anakin stayed silent for a few minutes. His eyes never left the bandaged stump dangling uselessly by his side. "His detail was captured, right before the peace agreement was signed. We had to withdraw and any prisoners of war were abandoned until negotiations went through."

"He got _left _there?"

"Five months," Anakin growled. "Right before I was sent back home. Five _months_ stuck in those camps."

"Must have been some rescue mission."

"We can send them flowers." He wearily ran his hand over his eyes. "I – I really need to see him."

"If he isn't here by tomorrow, I'll help you break in to see him."  
To her relief, the frenzied look slowly left Anakin's eyes. "That should add some excitement to my day. Maybe Quin's seen him."

"Oh, right. Because he's a reliable source."

"Come on, he's not that bad."

"He asks me every day for those stupid magazines - "

"So he's a little lonely."

" - and then asks me to describe the women to him."

Anakin laughed. "Can't blame a blind man for trying."

"You are ridiculous."

He grinned. "Have to stay sane somehow." He took one last glance at the papers in front of him and tossed them back to Ahsoka. "Maybe Vokara knows more. She's starting to warm up to me."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "Doctor Che hates you. Why don't you wait and try _not _snooping around."

"Now where's the fun in that?"

"Whatever, Skyguy." She cast a quick glance at the clock. "I better go. If I'm the last one on the bus again, Mother Unduli's going to kill me."

'Blame me."

"I do." She stuck her tongue out. "Dex's next time?"

"You're a lifesaver."

"I know."


	2. Chapter 2

Like clockwork, Vokara Che came to see Anakin three hours and forty minutes into her shift. Per his usual, Anakin rolled out of bed ten minutes before she reached his room, haphazardly throwing on a shirt and downing his pills seconds before she walked in the door.  
"When – "

" –I'm not telling you anything until your bandages get checked."

"My arm is fine."

"And yet again, I must remind you who has the medical training."

"Fine." He sat impatiently as she fastened the blood pressure cuff around his arm.

"If you don't relax, we'll have to do this again."

"I'm _trying_."

She took the reading and sighed. "Slightly high. I see therapy hasn't helped your temper any. Perhaps you should consider going _more_ than once a month."

"I sit there and Yoda gives me cryptic advice. 'Search your feelings'. Like that helps me."

That pulled a small smile from her. "He does make an interesting friend, when you get used to him."

"I'd rather not."

"Well, you seem to get along with the young women from the Order. She seems to have taken a liking to you."

"Ahsoka visits, yeah." He hesitated, unsure if he should have mentioned that Ahsoka still came to see him almost every day. Not many outsiders came by the hospital. Ahsoka had only met him because the convent had forced all students in their care to participate in volunteer work. The students had wandered around, delivering meals or awkwardly talking to the veterans for a few weeks before moving to their next charity. Ahsoka was required to get clearance from both the sisters and the hospital to continue visiting Anakin. Only certain patients were allowed the privilege of having non-familial visitors. Sure, Anakin skipped therapy a few times, but that surely cause him to be declared unfit or dangerous…

"She is allowed to, isn't she?"

"Mother Unduli and I have both agreed it is good for her to have a father-figure in her life…no matter how immature."

"I am not trying to be her father."

"Trying or not, that poor girl has spent her entire life raised by the sisters. She needed a change."

Anakin nodded mutely, wincing as the bandages were pulled away from his arm. Vokara Che started running her fingers along the scar tissue and stitches. "The infection seems to be clearing up, but just to be safe I want you to continue taking the antibiotics."

"Okay."

She started lightly squeezing his arm, right above the maimed end, gradually getting higher and higher. "Pain, numbness, anydiscomfort at all?"

"Nothing more than usual."

"Hmm. Well, you can expect to start losing the numbness in a few more weeks. The pain will lessen as well, although I'm afraid it won't go away entirely."

"So when can I leave?"

"When you are ready. Your arm needs to fully heal before we can apply the prosthetics."

He groaned. "That will mean more physical therapy, won't it?"

"I've heard you and Mace are getting along wonderfully."

"Punching people is therapeutic," he muttered.

"Skywalker!" The bandages being rewrapped around his arm got pulled a bit more tightly. "Tight enough?"

He flexed his arm a few times. "Yep, great. Now how's Obi-Wan?"

"Despite your history, I am still not allowed to share other patient's medical history."

"Was he in surgery? He isn't – he has – "

"All his limb are intact and he hasn't undergone major surgery. That is all I am at liberty to say. "

"So why is he here?"

"Not all injuries are physical, Anakin." To Anakin's surprise, Vokara Che took a seat on the empty bed. "The only reason he is being placed in this ward is because his records showed the two of you were well-acquainted. Hopefully seeing a familiar face will help."

"What happened to him?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. But that is what I wanted to talk to you about. The regular…sensitivity rules apply."

"Right. I won't mention the war. No loud noises or sudden movements."

Everyone in the hospital had varying levels of sensitivity. Anakin was plagued with phantom pains from his arm and the occasional nightmares, but next to those who went catatonic at the mention of the war or panicked at any sound above a whisper, he had little to complain about. He didn't visit many other veterans anyway. Quinlan was one of the rare few with whom Anakin visited. As far as Anakin knew, they were the only two who could freely talk about the war, not that there was much to discuss.  
"Thank you."

"I am warning you now this room arrangement could only be temporary. General Kenobi also suffers from extreme night terrors and flashback induced panic attacks. He has not gotten violent – "

" – I can handle it."

"I ensure the safety of all my patients _and _visitors to this facility."

"Ahsoka can take care of herself."

"I'm afraid I will not take that risk. If Kenobi proves to be violent, he will get a private room in a separate wing. I am moving him in with you _only _if you accept those terms."

Anakin let out the breath he had been holding. "Okay. That's…I can do that."

Vokara Che got up and squeezed his shoulder. "I'll send Nurse Eerin for him."


End file.
